A Powerful 3-Step Formula For When "Something's Off"
Sandy Scott, FACHE, MPA
I coach physician leaders to drive patient-centered change — and achieve their impossible goals with ease
When I started coaching physicians, something shocked me.
I thought that people desperate for change would get the most out of coaching.
The opposite was true.
The physicians who experienced the most rapid transformation, were the ones who started their first coaching call saying something like:
????“Things are pretty good...”?
????"I was just offered a new leadership role...”
????“I’m at a crossroads with a few good options...”
????"I feel like something needs to change, but nothing big…”
????“We bought our dream lake house, even if we don't make it up often…”
So, why were they hiring a coach?
I realized a lot of physicians feel a combination of stuck and restless — even though things are "pretty good" from the outside looking in.
They don't want to disrupt others—and they know something needs to change.?
They aren't at a breaking point—and they feel themselves bending.?
They aren't dying—and they don't want to just keep surviving.
When physicians bump into feeling “something’s off”, they usually try:
The hardest part of feeling like “something’s off” is usually a combination of:
?? Wanting a deeper connection to meaning and purpose
?? Feeling like circumstances are driving your life?
?? Not being able to give your best to others
In my 25+ years of coaching high-achieving physicians, a clear pattern has emerged:
The road to clinical excellence demands a relentless focus on developing technical expertise — often at the expense of developing your 'inner world' (e.g. core values, vision, unique abilities, passions).?
That's why, even after achieving remarkable external success, you can feel an unsettled void; like something’s missing.?
You might realize that your career, shaped mostly by external demands, lacks alignment with your internal compass.?
If you feel disconnected from fulfillment and purpose, here’s a few secrets?I’ve come across after coaching 800+ physicians:
????Purpose?is?cultivated from within?— it's?not a condition provided from the outside.??
????The idea that everyone else has it ‘figured out’ is BS.? Chasing what works for others distracts you from discovering your own solutions. A 10X better strategy is to embrace your own?unique story.
????Blaming external forces is easy. True growth comes from confronting and expanding our self-imposed limits.??
????Embrace negative feelings as guidance.? Negative emotions can be valuable signals that reveal the areas of our life that need attention. Follow their direction to uncover deep insight.?
????Saying ‘yes’ to every big opportunity that comes your way—without reflecting on its alignment with your inner world—is a fast track to burnout.
And the biggest insight:
????Your maximum level of fulfillment & purpose is limited by the depth of your self-awareness.?
Like a rocket without much fuel, shallow self-exploration can limit the 'maximum height' of our achievements, results and experiences.
If that resonates, here's the good news:
Recognizing that you feel a limit?in your life?is the critical first step towards realignment.??
To experience more fulfillment in your outer world — dig?deeper?into your inner world.
Underestimating your inner creativity and wisdom is like sitting on a buried treasure.??
If you think you’ve dug deep enough, dig deeper.
The more you explore your inner world, the more alignment you're able to create in your outer world.
Here's the proven 3-step formula:
1. Choose an area of life to focus on????
Most people overcomplicate this step — not you!
It can be any challenge, goal, or thing you want to improve.
The main point is to stay curious, keep it simple, and just start.??
Your focus needs to get you pumped and excited, or be causing you serious issues.? That’s what'll get you to actually take action and actually get a real result.?
Keep your focus within your scope of influence.? Yes, a?lot of things are out of our control, and that can be hard.? That said, we can acknowledge external challenges AND?invest our energy in places where our efforts?effect change.
Can’t decide where to focus? Jot?down 17?people, projects or habits that?irk?you and then flip the most irritating one into an positive goal.?For example: “I’m irritated about my weight → “I want to feel healthier”.? ?I included nine more ideas at the bottom of this email.
Examples:
??? “I want to feel connected to meaning at work again”
??? "I want to improve my physical and emotional health"
??? "I?want to be a stronger leader at work"
2. Explore your inner world? ??
Use an assessment tool, free write, talk to a mentor or coach, explore a new tool or model on your own, etc.?
The main objective is to feel more clarity about what’s most important to you.
Let go of 'getting it right'.? Keeping it playful and having?fun with this part of the?process, will lead?you to the most fulfilling discoveries.?
If you think you’ve explored enough, dig deeper.? Underestimating your creativity and inner wisdom is like sitting on a buried treasure.? The more you explore and lean into your inner world, the more alignment you can create in your outer world.?
Examples:?
????“I miss teaching residents, it was so rewarding”
????"Running before work used to fill me with energy"
????"I want to be the type of leader who has time to listen to their people"
3. Take one?bold action aligned with your inner world????
The main objective here is to take the boldest action you can manage.
Bold doesn’t mean crazy — it means aligned with what’s important to you.
I strongly recommend using the LEAP model for designing a bold, high-impact action.? To maximize the impact of your action; ask a trusted colleague, mentor or coach to provide input on the design of your leap, and hold you accountable to taking it by when you say you will.?
Examples:?
????"I'm going to ask my Chair about teaching?for 1 hour/week"
????"I'm going to jog with my 1 year old to the coffee shop tomorrow"
????"I'm going to personally round on 2 of my direct reports this week"
?
Here's the best part:
It's like fueling a rocket for liftoff.
Plus, like all habits, this is a muscle that gets stronger the more you do it. ?
Here’s a few examples from real clients:?
1. Feel the Breeze
???"I want to improve my physical and emotional health"
????"Running before work used to fill me with energy"
????"I'm going to jog to my favorite coffee shop with my 1 year old tomorrow"
????Not only did it feel great to run again, they realized how great it felt to do something meaningful with their 1 year old, who they'd missed spending quality time with.? It also gave their spouse some extra time to get the other kids ready for school (win/win!).? I wonder how much this physician would be missing out on right now if she hadn't paused to explore her inner world.?
2. A Passion Ignited
???"I feel bored at work"
????"Robotic surgery is something I've always wanted to explore"
????"I'm going to attend a robotic surgery conference this quarter"
????This physician ended up having a blast at the conference, where "work felt exciting again".? Their passion for medicine was reignited and they ended up enrolling with a robotic surgery training program later that year — which "never would have happened if I hadn't paused to reflect on what the issue was".??
3. Back to School
??? “I want to feel connected to meaning at work again”
????"I miss teaching residents — it was so rewarding”
????"I'm going to ask my Chair about teaching part-time for 1 hour/week"
????Their Chair immediately says 'yes' — and this physicians was teaching residents within 60 days.? He feel back in love with work, in a?more meaningful?way than when he had taught earlier in his career.? And to think, he used to be convinced?that he needed to move his family across country in order to be happy with work.
?
9 Tools Highly-Effective Physicians Use to Unlock Fulfillment & Purpose
Here’s our clients’ favorite tools and resources they use to explore their inner world and unlock a deeper connection to their purpose.?
Try one, I dare you :)? ?
1. Find Your Why? ??
Don’t just manage; lead with intent by uncovering the deeper reasons behind your career choices—this is about thriving, not just surviving.
????Watch this video or read this book or from Simon Sinek
????Write your Why Statement using Simon’s proven 1-sentence formula
????Design and take a Leap in alignment with your ‘why’
?
2. The Genius Zone? ??
Discover how to stay perpetually in your Genius Zone, where every challenge becomes an opportunity to showcase your unique strengths.? In my experience, the most you resist this idea, the more you will benefit from it.
????Watch this video and read this book by Gay Hendricks
????Complete the Genius Zone Email Campaign.? My clients say it’s easier and 10X more powerful than you think — as long as you only send it to people who’s answers you’re willing to believe without discounting.
????Design and take a Leap in alignment with your Genius Zone
?
3. The Flow Model????
Navigate your way to more FLOW states by charting your position on the FLOW diagram and deliberately move towards activities that match your high skill level with equally matched challenges.? That’s where being a physician leader can feel most rewarding and effective.
????Read this short article and locate yourself on the flow diagram
????Brainstorm 30 actions you could take that might move you closer to flow
????Pick an action that gets you most excited, adjust it to hit the 6 criteria for a leap, and then DO IT?
?
4. The Life Wheel????
Visualize the balance—or imbalance—in your major life sectors, guiding you to make more informed? decisions that enhance your overall quality of life.
????Do the Life Wheel exercise and pick a wedge of the wheel you want to invest in.? IMPORTANT: Focus on what you want, rather than only focusing on areas with low scores.? You may choose to focus on an area of life that you already gave a high score.??
????Brainstorm 30 things you could do to improve your satisfaction in that wedge.??
????Circle the idea that gets you most excited, adjust it to meet the 6 criteria for a leap, and then ‘just do it’
?
5. The Lifeline????
Visually map your personal and professional journey, to identify patterns and understand exactly how your decisions are shaped by your past without realizing it.? By looking back at your highest and lowest experiences with fresh eyes, you identify hidden drivers and barriers to satisfaction, and make more decisions with clearer purpose.
????Do the Lifeline exercise?
????Design and take a leap that aligns with your insight from the Lifeline exercise?
?
6. The Ideal Day????
Living your ideal day is easier than you think,?because it's?a sustainable lifestyle choice that evolves as you clarify and deepen your understanding of your inner world.? I highly recommend designing your Ideal Day through the lens of a core value.??
????Pick a top core value you want to experience more of.? I recommend looking at your Hogan MVPI Assessment (scientifically validated, only accessed through a certified coach) and/or taking the VIA assessment (free version).
????Complete the Ideal Day exercise
????Design and take a Leap that turns a normal day into an Ideal Day
?
7. The Inner Mentor Visualization? ??
Reality check: 90% of our actions are automated and based on our past experiences. This guided visualization taps into your potential and anchors you into your future — to balance out the natural way we anchor into the past.? For a few minutes, explore a future where you have realized your full potential, learning from your inner mentor how to navigate present challenges with wisdom gained from experience.??
????Listen to this visualization or this visualization?
????Free write about the visualization for 5 minutes and circle a single insight
????Design and take a leap that aligns with your Future Self
?
8. The 5-Minute Journal????
The 5 Minute Journal offers a swift, research-driven reflection process that helps you pinpoint and prioritize actions within your control, refreshing your focus and decision-making for the day in a few minutes.?
????Buy the journal (or print out the questions for free)
????Stick it by your bed and do it for 5 minutes a day
????After a week or two; read what you’ve written, circle something that gets you excited, and design a leap around it
?
9. The Discovery Assessment????
Probe the core of what drives you, explore the depths of your aspirations and uncover hidden motivations by combining the Discovery Assessment with the GAPS Model.? To debrief your Discovery Assessment with a coach, email Yasmine ([email protected]) and she’ll assist the first five respondents to schedule a complimentary coaching call.
????Schedule 15 minutes on your calendar to answer the Discovery Assessment questions
????Complete the Discovery Assessment and circle your single biggest insight
????Design and take a leap that aligns with your insight
?
Bonus: Read, Watch and Listen?
Explore your inner world by checking out a book, article, podcast or video that challenges your assumptions and gets the reflective juices flowing:
?If this is resonating but you feel like you're too busy — here’s a perspective I urge you to consider:
Humans are wired to learn and grow.
It’s not an option.?
Just like a snake can’t grow new skin until it sheds the old; we physically can’t do the same things for 10+ years.? Nature forces us to grow.?
You do, however, get to choose how you grow.
So if you’re feeling stuck or restless, it might be a sign.
Perhaps it's time to pause and ask yourself:
Do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes right now to explore your inner world.
When done properly, it’s the highest ROI thing you'll do for you and your family all year.
?
Be well,
Whenever you're ready, here's 2 ways I can support you:
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